In the last few years, many people have become conscious about their health. As a result, demand for organic vegetables and other organic food products experienced a boom. Staying fit and healthy has become a trend which turned many individuals into fitness buffs. Although taking care of your body is essential for any person, a lot of people overlook the significance of checking their mental health.
Especially now that many parts of the world experienced lockdown measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, most of us do not realize that home confinement for a prolonged period harms our mental health. Researchers have found that being inactive and spending more time sitting on a couch has negative effects on your physical and mental health. But do not worry since you can rely on Jake Ernst who is the leading therapist.
Ernst, popularly known as Jake, specializes in dealing with young individuals to help them with their various mental health needs. He focuses on relationship building and employs different methods to assist young individuals towards self-discovery of their worth and strengths and help them embrace the change process.
Getting To Know Jake
Jake said that he is a therapist and entrepreneur who primarily does his business online. His main business channel is through Instagram wherein he shared creative ideas and tips for taking good care of one’s mental health. Jake combines his passion for writing, creating art and his therapy skills to reach many people.
He shared that he gets many clients through his Instagram page. You can check him out on Instagram at @mswjake. “My business just came about through creating content on my Instagram page. The content resonates with my audience. Then, people started listening and paying attention to me which, eventually, translated into paid clients,” he narrated.
Jake revealed that when he created that Instagram page, he did not intend to make it a business channel. “Everything just came upon me honestly.. I was just writing and speaking from my heart and sharing so others may benefit from it,” he shared.
He never expected that his Instagram page would be so successful that it would become an effective business channel.
Balancing In Life And Managing Fear
Eager to learn more from him, I asked him about how he makes time for rest or balance in his life. Jake’s answer is simple yet remarkable.
Jake responded that boundaries are the key to setting a good routine of taking care of oneself and staying rested. “In my profession, it is easy to say yes to everything. So, I tried to learn to start saying no to opportunities and start saying yes to myself,” he explained.
When it comes to fear, Jake disclosed that his greatest fear is vulnerability. He said that in his work, he talked about other people’s feelings most of the time. “As a result, I rarely talk about my own feelings a lot or not enough. But through the years, I have grown pretty skilled at it. I’ve become accustomed to managing the discomfort,” he said.
I find that remark from Jake very interesting which left me reflecting on it. Admittedly, he was right since more often than not, people tend to forget the person behind the chair. Most of us are guilty of not spending too much on where it matters.
Nurturing Mental Health
Taking good care of our mental health is crucial for our well-being. Hence, Jake has two tips on how to nurture mental health.
Jake suggested that people can do breathwork. It is a form of breathing exercise that can help improve a person’s mental well-being. “I do it for myself all the time. You can conduct breath work and develop a controlled pattern of breathing for yourself. For myself, I follow my own breathwork regimen. Breathwork is a well-established health practice. People can find about it on YouTube or by reading books,” he said.
Moreover, Jake noted that being creative and being curious is significant for a person’s mental health. So, his advice is to maintain that creativity and curiosity. He says “staying in our flow and staying creative, curious, and open-minded can be good for our well-being,” he added.
Jake continued that he does that through writing and creating art. “I create my own backgrounds on my Instagram page. But most of my creativity comes from writing. I love putting my thoughts and feelings into words. And it has worked well for me,” he explained.
Coping With The Pandemic
Almost every one of us is affected, in some way, by the pandemic. Jake shared that even he felt the impact of the pandemic on his well-being. So, I asked him how he is doing. He said that he feels emotionally depleted and has felt the rundown and the wear and tear of the pandemic.
However, Jake also shared how he is coping with the current situation. “I am taking it day by day and making it through. For me, the thing that I focus on the most is defining the line that separates acceptance and change. What are the things that I need to accept? And what are the things that I can work towards changing? That is my ultimate health practice by balancing acceptance and change,” he said.
This part of the conversation further reinforces in me the significance of mental health. It was a realization that even those who are already equipped with the knowledge and skills in dealing with mental health issues do sometimes feel mental exhaustion.
Final Thoughts
“Slow down yourself and embrace the process.” That is Jake’s advice to everyone as we face a new year. Jake explained that all the endpoints people are rushing towards are often imaginary. He added that sometimes it becomes a never-ending journey because when people reach their final destination, a new one pops up.
“For me, I am not setting any expectations this year. No set goals for 2021. I am not pursuing a certain level of success. I will not hustle or rush towards an endpoint this year. I decided to rest in knowing that things will come my way when they need to. I am leaning more towards acceptance. So, I am just chillin’ this year,” Jake said.